Overview (4)

Mini Bio (1)

Typical of busy character actors, Fiedler made his face (and voice) recognizable to millions. Many know the bald-pated Fiedler as therapy patient "Mr. Peterson" on The Bob Newhart Show (1972); others might first recognize him for the 1968 movie, The Odd Couple (1968), and spin-off TV show, The Odd Couple (1970), or perhaps even from the Broadway play that preceded them. Even kids would know that helium-high voice from animated Disney features like Robin Hood (1973), The Fox and the Hound (1981) and the "Winnie the Pooh" stories, in which he voiced "Piglet". The son of an Irish-German beer salesman, Fiedler knew he wanted to be an actor from his childhood days, when he had a full head of reddish-yellow hair. He made his first professional appearances onstage, branched out into live TV in New York and, then, during the 20 years he lived in Hollywood (1960-80), he turned up in many movies and an ever greater number of popular TV shows.

Trade Mark (1)

Trivia (16)

According to his obituaries he was survived by his brother, James Fiedler and a sister, Mary Dean.

Has the impressive distinction of being the only actor to give voice to his character (Piglet) in all the different animated versions of Winnie the Pooh from Walt Disney, from Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968) all the way through to Pooh's Heffalump Movie (2005). Incredibly, his total credits for playing Piglet were in twenty-three distinct different productions, several of those having multiple episodes.

Served in the U.S. Navy during WWII.

Diagnosed with cancer, he became a patient of the Lillian Booth Actor's Fund Home in Englewood, New Jersey, in November of 2004 and died there the following June.

Provided the voice of "Piglet" for the Pooh series from 1968, with Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968), until shortly before his death. Walt Disney, himself, heard Fiedler's voice and hand-picked the actor. Ironically, Fiedler died one day after voice specialist, Paul Winchell, who voiced the role of "Tigger".

Father was a beer salesman.

Used to stage productions in his family garage with neighborhood children.

Fiedler has stated that the role he is asked about the second most often is that of "Mr. Peterson" on The Bob Newhart Show (1972) and the one he is most asked about is that of the mild-mannered police official who is temporarily taken over by the spirit of "Jack the Ripper" in the Star Trek: Wolf in the Fold (1967) episode of the original Star Trek (1966) series.

Played six roles on the fantasy TV series Bewitched (1964), usually clients or related to the client and one time a frog.

Never married nor had children.

Personal Quotes (2)

People will come up and say, "Gosh, I thought it was you. Then I heard your voice, and I knew." Nine times out of 10, they don't know the name.

There are elements of Piglet that are me: the shyness and the anxieties and fears. Even after all these years. The more you know, the higher your standards are and the more you have to lose.